Landon Hale – Syndication Server

Florida safety feels he ‘turned heads’ with impressive Swinney Camp showing

Among the class of 2023 recruits that had the chance to showcase their talent during all three days of Clemson’s overnight camp from June 10-12 was Landon Hale -a 6-foot-2, 191-pound three-star safety out of Yulee (Fla.). “It was amazing,” Hale told …

Among the class of 2023 recruits that had the chance to showcase their talent during all three days of Clemson’s overnight camp from June 10-12 was Landon Hale —a 6-foot-2, 191-pound three-star safety out of Yulee (Fla.).

“It was amazing,” Hale told The Clemson Insider. “My body, though, is extremely tired, sore and hurt. That was one of the toughest camps, mentally and physically, that I’ve done, but the coaching from everybody was just phenomenal. I feel like walking away from that camp I got a ton better in every area of my game.”

What type of feedback did Hale get from Clemson’s coaching staff?

“Each coach I worked with said I looked very good,” he said, “including Coach (Mickey) Conn. They were very impressed with my footwork and how coachable I was…even on one rep, Coach Dabo, he was even like, ‘Good job, Landon! Way to take coaching,’ because anything they would tell me, I was able to fix it the next rep and just get better.”

Regarding a potential offer, Clemson’s co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach told Hale’s parents that he has a very good shot. While Hale was on campus, he texted over his spring film and Conn told him that he was very impressed by what he saw.

“I think it’s coming, but it’s just gonna take time,” Hale said. “Obviously, having that safety that’s committed there (Kylen Webb) kind of puts a little more pressure on me, but you know what? I’m just willing to wait, trust God’s timing and if this is where I’m supposed to be, he’ll open this door.”

“It would mean a ton,” he said regarding a potential offer from the Tigers, “and I’ve already proven to them like, ‘You want to see me at a three-day camp? Cool, I’ll come. You want me to come up for a visit? I’ll come.’ I’m committed and I think some coaches took notice of that.”

At the end of the day, Hale feels like he can hang his hat on the fact that the ball is in Clemson’s court.

“I laid everything I had out there and Coach Conn noticed that,” he said. “I gave 110% every drill, every rep, every session. Looking back, there’s nothing I could’ve done better or gone harder at because I gave everything I had. I think I turned heads from every coach that was there, even all the other schools that were, like Furman and Chattanooga, all those other schools, they’ve been hitting me up too.”

Furman’s secondary coach, Corico Wright, was one of the coaches that helped out during the three-day session of Swinney Camp. Wright called Hale on Monday and told him that he was very impressed with him. He also told him that not many guys in his situation with how many offers he has would’ve come to a three-day camp.

Hale picked up his latest offer from Furman on Tuesday.

There should be more to come, though.

Looking back at it now, Hale is thrilled that he elected to participate in the three-day overnight camp at Clemson.

“I learned a ton every day and I feel like I got better,” Hale said. “When everybody was complaining or tired or they were saying they were sore, I just kept my head down and worked. I didn’t complain. I didn’t do nothing. I just did it again and did it again, every rep and every drill and I just got better and better.

“I was able to take coaching and in each session in the 1-on-1s, I kept doing better. That’s even what Coach Conn said. He noticed that my weave was better towards the last 1-on-1 sessions and I was doing better about my kick step and sliding…I think they can just tell that I’m a very coachable guy and that I love coaching and I embrace it. Whenever I get feedback, I apply it. I don’t just let it fall on deaf ears, I listen and apply it.”

Prior to Clemson, Hale took an unofficial visit to the University of Florida. At the time of our conversation with Hale, he had just made it to his hotel. His plans were to make an unofficial visit to the United States Naval Academy, as well as the University of Virginia.

If everything goes according to plan, Hale should be able to earn his first Power Five offer from Tony Elliott’s program.

As far as official visits go, Hale is weighing his options. Harvard, Ohio and FIU all want him to take an official, but he wants to hold onto some of those officials with the potential of schools like Clemson, Florida, Virginia and Oklahoma all entering his recruitment.

No fanbase is more passionate about winning. Clemson fans and businesses have always stepped up to provide what is needed for the Tigers to compete with the best. The college landscape has changed with name, image and likeness. Dear Old Clemson will do things the ‘Clemson way’ to support a grassroots effort to help the best fanbase in the nation meet this new challenge. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Swinney Camp Notebook: Day 3, Afternoon Session

The Clemson Insider was on hand for Day 3 of the Dabo Swinney Camp on Friday, June 10. Here are our notes and observations from the afternoon session of Friday’s Swinney Camp. One of the most impressive athletes out there Friday afternoon was Yulee …

The Clemson Insider was on hand for Day 3 of the Dabo Swinney Camp on Friday, June 10. Here are our notes and observations from the afternoon session of Friday’s Swinney Camp.

One of the most impressive athletes out there Friday afternoon was Yulee (Fla.) three-star safety Landon Hale (pictured above). We’ve maintained that Hale is an offer candidate and he certainly looked the part. After making an unofficial to Oklahoma and Florida, Hale’s at Clemson Friday-Sunday.
- Hale was accompanied by his parents, as well as his brother, Rylan. The younger Hale brother is listed by recruiting services as a tight end, but we can tell you that Clemson, as well as several other programs, wants him to work out at the linebacker position. That’s exactly where Rylan was working out during the afternoon session.
- Landon will be making an unofficial visit to the United States Naval Academy come next week to see and then take an official visit to Harvard.
- TCI recently spoke with Landon and you can read more about him and his recruitment at the link below:
  - - LINK
The most noticeable prospect out there was Mountain View (Lawrenceville, Ga.) 2024 four-star defensive lineman Justin Greene. He was easy to spot and definitely was the most dominant guy out there. His body type was just different from the rest of the defensive linemen out there.
TCI learned that The Loomis Chaffee School’s (Windsor, CT.) 2024 four-star defensive lineman Jerod Smith and 2024 four-star edge Jacob Smith were both at Clemson for the first time today. We will have more on the two brothers who were on campus for an unofficial visit Friday.
- Jerod (6-3, 240) is pegged by 247Sports as the nation’s No. 8 defensive lineman and nation’s No. 55 overall prospect regardless of position in the 2024 class, while 247 considers Jacob (6-5, 225) to be the No. 7 edge rusher and the nation’s No. 72 overall prospect.
As we reported earlier, both Navarre (Fla.) 2024 four-star linebacker Zavier Hamilton and Pine Forest (Pensacola, Fla.) 2023 three-star wide receiver Donielle “Nuke” Hayes will be on campus today. Though, they won’t be arriving until later this afternoon and will be practicing tonight.

Florida safety looking forward to earning his opportunity at Swinney Camp next month

Clemson is keeping tabs on a fast-rising safety prospect, who will participate in the Dabo Swinney Camp next month. The Clemson Insider recently spoke with Yulee (Fla.) three-star safety Landon Hale following Wesley Goodwin’s visit to his school …

“Coach Goodwin actually came by the school, which was super cool,” Hale said. “It meant a lot being as he’s the defensive coordinator stopping by and chatting with my head coach. He’s not allowed to talk with me at all, so we never spoke, but he talked with my head coach a lot. I never got to see him, but I’m just happy that he at least came by and spoke to our head coach about me and a few of our other players.”

According to Hale, Yulee’s head coach, Kyle Doughtery, spoke highly of him to Goodwin, as Clemson’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach tries to find out more information about the intriguing Florida safety.

“He wants to hear from the head coach what type of player I am and my leadership style and those sorts of things,” Hale continued.”

He’ll be up at Clemson from June 10-12 for the three-day overnight camp.

“I really am (looking forward to that) and I think that’s where I’m gonna earn my opportunity for sure,” Hale said. “I’ve been putting in so much work and it’s just a matter of time before it’s gonna show in front of them.”

While Hale wished that Clemson was able to watch his practice, he understands that Goodwin has several stops to make on the recruiting trail during the evaluation period. The fact that he stopped by Yulee is proof to Hale that Clemson is certainly interested in what he brings to the table as a prospective recruit.

“They did such a great job on my visit, I really have no desire to see more of the campus, because we really covered it all,” he continued. “Now, it’s gonna come down to getting to know them more and their certain coaching style because at the end of the day too, I’m evaluating them as well. I already made a decision in my mind, but I’m just up there to work and have them evaluate me and me evaluate them, to see their coaching style and how they handle certain things and stuff like that.”

Hale just wants to see how Goodwin and co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Mickey Conn interact with him in a camp setting.

“I got to look at that a lot when we were up there and I got to sit in the safeties meeting,” Hale said. “So, I got to see Coach Conn and Coach Goodwin go over film critiques and I saw them at practice do their thing. Even though it was an abbreviated practice, I still saw the intensity and a little bit here and there of certain aspects I was looking for. I want to see how personal it is to me and they know I’m coming up there. It’s gonna be awesome.

Hale has already made up his mind about how he feels about Clemson.

If his previous comments are any indication, it’s certainly a school that’s high on his list. Having the opportunity to earn an offer from a school that he holds in high regard is not something Hale takes lightly.

In May alone, Hale has picked up offers from Princeton, Fordham, Yale and Georgia Southern. He has a feeling that more offers will be coming his way shortly, as programs around the country continue to drop by Yulee. Hale estimated that between 20-30 schools have stopped by his high school over the past few weeks.

“Recruitment for me is starting to really pick up, I just got my 12th offer (Tuesday),” he said. “So, it’s just such a blessing. Right now, it’s just so cool and fun to experience. All my hard work is finally paying off and getting noticed.

“It honestly feels surreal, I’m gonna be honest with you. I’ve worked so long for this and this is a result of months and years of work and preparation. What everybody’s seeing right now, it’s only because of how much time we spent training and in the gym training to gain weight and on the field. It’s picking up big time now. It’s just been amazing. I’m talking to so much more schools right now and they’re hitting me up and offers are rolling in, especially from some top-notch Ivy League institutions. It’s just gonna be a lot to think about the next few weeks.”

Congratulations! You did it! You graduated! Now is the time to preserve your diploma in a custom frame. Here at Clemson Variety & Frame, we build all our frames in-house – from the frame to the mats and etchings to the installation – to guarantee the quality. You worked hard for your degree. Trust us to show your diploma in the best light possible.

Clemson made Sunshine State safety feel like he a priority during visit

Yulee (Fla.) three-star safety Landon Hale made his way to Clemson’s campus for an unofficial visit this past week. Hale had originally planned to visit from April 8-9, which would’ve allowed for him to attend Clemson’s Orange & White Spring Game on …

Yulee (Fla.) three-star safety Landon Hale made his way to Clemson’s campus for an unofficial visit this past week.

Hale had originally planned to visit from April 8-9, which would’ve allowed for him to attend Clemson’s Orange & White Spring Game on Saturday, but he made it to regionals for weight lifting and couldn’t skip it.

He phoned Clemson defensive coordinator Wesley Goodwin and told him his predicament, so Hale wound up visiting on Wednesday, April 6 instead.

“We absolutely loved it,” Hale told The Clemson Insider regarding his first-ever Clemson visit. “It was incredible. They treated us like family the entire day. They made me and my family feel like a priority, which I was very appreciative of. We got to see the entire campus. They took us to the business administration building, which is something that I plan on majoring in. So, it was good to see that and the new facilities there…overall, it was just a very good day.

Hale was in attendance for Clemson’s final practice prior to Saturday’s spring game and got a chance to sit in on some team and position meetings.

“The meetings were run very organized, I thought,” he said, “and Coach (Dabo) Swinney was very deliberate and so was Coach (Wesley) Goodwin and Coach (Mickey) Conn. They were very deliberate in the meetings. In the position meetings, we watched film the whole time from the previous practices and they were just giving all the guys advice on what they could’ve done better or what needed to be improved upon. I really enjoyed sitting in on the meetings and at practice as well.

“I thought it was very organized. They didn’t practice very much that day because they were preparing for the spring game, but it was good to at least see what a typical practice looks like for Clemson.”

What did Hale hear from Clemson’s coaching staff while he was on campus?

“Whenever we were on the tour of the facilities, they came and met up with us and got to speak with me and my family for probably a good 30 minutes,” Hale said, “and we just talked about ball and caught up and thanked them for the opportunity to come up.”

According to Hale, the Tigers want him to camp at Clemson this summer for the three-day camp, which is from June 10-12. That will be one of the three camps that he plans on hitting this summer and he’ll ensure that it’ll be a priority. Also, Hale plans on making a game day visit, which would likely come on Saturday, Nov. 12 against Lousivillle at Memorial Stadium.

“We’re gonna be on campus a lot in the coming weeks,” he said. “We plan on at least visiting Clemson at least two or three more times before I make a decision on where I’m going.”

Did he hear anything from Clemson about a potential offer?

“Coach Conn said that he had watched my film and he liked it,” Hale added, “but like I said, I think they want a little more in-person evaluation before we kind of get to that point in my recruiting process. But, like they were telling me, ‘If you’re on campus right now, you’re a priority to us.’ It’s not just like they’re bringing just any guys up. It’s guys that they’ve identified that are gonna be potential leaders and basically uphold the values of the program. That’s something to me that I’m honored that they’re even considering me.”

Even without an offer, Clemson is a top choice in Hale’s recruitment. That all really boils down to the P.A.W. Journey, which he says was really his favorite part of the entire day.

“It would be a blessing,” he said regarding a potential offer from Clemson, “a huge blessing and a life-changing opportunity…if I am blessed and fortunate enough to receive an offer, it’s a huge honor and something that I’m not gonna take lightly at all. Like I said, I think they just want to see a live evaluation.”

Hale feels like his film is pretty solid but it was only his first year playing defensive back, so you can definitely tell that there’s some inexperience. Nonetheless, he’s been able to work out all the little kinks and technical issues this offseason.

This spring is setting up to be huge for his recruitment.

For Hale, it’s awesome that he’s being recruited by both of Clemson’s defensive coordinators. Needless to say, he was impressed with what he heard from both Goodwin and Conn and what they have to offer as coaches.

“Coach Goodwin, I love him,” Hale said. “He’s the coach that was the first one to reach out to me from Clemson and we’re continuing to build our relationship. Obviously, as the defensive coordinator, he has a lot of say in who is on campus and who is not. I’m very appreciative that he gave me the opportunity to come up.

“I loved Coach Conn. I thought he was very well-spoken and he was easy to talk to. He’s a coach that’s definitely been around the game for a very long time. You look at what he’s previously done. If I ever get the chance to be coached by him, it would be an incredible opportunity.”

Hale felt like he was a priority the minute he stepped on campus. The visit was the most organized one he’s been on and Clemson sent him an itinerary from sunup to sundown, so he knew what to expect when he was on campus.

“If I could go back and change everything I wouldn’t because it was just a very successful day and I got to see everything that I wanted to see,” he said. “I got to meet all the people that I wanted to meet, including Coach Swinney. I spoke with him twice while I was on campus and the conversations I had with him were just amazing. I definitely look up to him. He’s an inspiration.”

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

Standout Florida safety will be at Clemson next month

On his way back from his unofficial visit to Oklahoma, Yulee (Fla.) three-star safety Landon Hale saw that a couple of Clemson coaches had begun to follow him on Twitter. Shortly thereafter, he got in touch with Wesley Goodwin and they’ve been …

If you follow Clemson football recruiting closely, Hale’s already announced his intentions to visit Clemson from April 8-9.

While he’ll be in attendance for Clemson’s spring game, Goodwin wanted him to come up the day prior so that he can get academic meetings set up, get shown around campus and spend some time with the coaches.

“I have heard nothing about Clemson that is negative,” he said, “anything that I’ve heard about Clemson is that they’re top-notch. I’m really looking forward to building relationships with all the coaches going forward. I just really want to see what the culture’s about, I want to see the facilities and I want to see if it lives up to the hype that everybody says it does.”

What’s Hale’s relationship like with Clemon’s co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach so far?

“So far we’ve just been texting and we got on the phone the other day,” Hale said, “but I want to continue to build it with him and get to know him a little more. He called and told me about his story and his time at Clemson. He told me about his family. We share a very strong love for Christ so that is something that we definitely have in common.”

Hale hasn’t yet discussed an offer with Goodwin. They’re just beginning their relationship and he imagines that subject will be broached once he’s on campus. As of now, Hale’s just trying to get a relationship started, so going forward, when Goodwin watches his senior tape, he’s gonna be very impressed.

What would getting a Clemson offer mean to Hale?

“Shoot, Clemson is a top choice for me, like seriously,” Hale said. “If they were to offer me, I would seriously think about committing because my number one choice in a program is how am I gonna be impacted spiritually? Am I gonna be able to grow or is this gonna be a culture where I’m gonna be distracted the whole time and the locker room isn’t the best?

“My head coach at Yulee, Coach Terrence Flagler, he just left Yulee, but he played at Clemson. He’s told me a lot about the program. If it lives up to his expectations, I’m super excited.”

Flagler, who is now an assistant coach at IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) told his now-former players just what Clemson is all about. It clearly caught the attention of Hale.

“He said that the gameday atmosphere is absolutely incredible,” Hale recalled. “He said you’re gonna get there and it’s gonna be nothing like you’ve ever seen. He was also telling us about how all the coaches really care for you. He said that it’s a top-notch education and it’s a place that I think that I would want to be for sure.”

While Hale won’t get to see a regular-season game day atmosphere during his visit to The Valley, he’s already looking forward to getting on campus and seeing everything Clemson has to offer.

“Man, I’m really excited and I’m thankful for the opportunity, at least,” he said. “Like if I can just go up there and meet with the coaches and start building a relationship, that’s all I need.”

In addition to Clemson, Hale is starting to receive some significant attention from other Power Five programs like Oklahoma, Florida and Arkansas to name a few.

“It took a lot of hard work,” Hale said. “My freshman year, I was around 115-pounds and now I’m almost 190. It’s been constant work in the gym, the classroom, outside doing extra training after practice. It’s so rewarding to see all this payoff and it took years of hard work that nobody saw.

“It doesn’t stop here. I’m gonna keep pushing myself to continue to get better, even if all these Power Five offers come, that still doesn’t mean anything. I still gotta prove myself every day.”

When asked to describe himself as a player, it didn’t take long for Hale to name-drop a former Clemson standout. He grew up watching Isaiah Simmons, who is the sole reason why he wears No. 11. If Hale could really pick one word to describe his game, it would be versatile.

If you cut on Hale’s tape, you’ll see that he has varsity game film at defensive end, middle linebacker, strongside linebacker, weakside linebacker. This past season, he played a majority of nickel, free safety and strong safety.

“If you seriously cut on my tape, you’ll see that I can make plays from any position,” Hale said. “It doesn’t matter. I have very good athletic ability and I’m very explosive.”

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!